Farm Management in Mississippi

Mississippi agriculture operates within a diversity of soils and topography, aquifers, riparian and coastal zones, crop pests, and wildlife. This complexity also creates possible alternative uses and values for those resources. The state's political environment thus includes economic and political interests in agriculture, rural communities, urban development, outdoor recreation, and the environment.

Mississippians face a number of important agricultural and resource policy issues. The state's farmers receive millions of dollars per year in federal commodity payments. However, federal budget pressures and political shifts could limit future federal commodity programs. Mississippi agriculture is also subject to potential restrictions from the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Food Quality Protection Act and FIFRA, Conservation Compliance programs, state laws, and local restrictions.

The U.S. Congress, the Mississippi Legislature, and local governments have been dealing with the following items affecting agriculture:

The USDA Farm Services Agency is conducting a sign-up for single-year and multi-year disaster assistance.
The sign-up period for crop insurance is underway until February 28. Congress appropriated $400 million to subsidize crop insurance by 30 percent in 1999.
Due to political distractions in Washington, Congress has not yet taken any action this year on major environmental regulations such as reauthorizing the Endangered Species Act.

However, the Environmental Protection Agency is moving ahead in its implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act.

Publications

Other Farm Management Information

Market News and Weather Service: MSU's Agriculural Economics Department
Agriculture and Food Policy Center at Texas A & M University
Current information on the federal legislative process (e.g., hearings, proposed bills, committee action, floor action) is available online by visiting the home pages of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate.
Information on the federal regulatory process (e.g., agency hearings, proposed and final rules, Federal Register announcements) is available from the home pages of relevant agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
This is the NASS calendar of release dates for all their production reports. http://www.usda.gov/nass/pubs/rptscal.htm
Mississippi Agricultural Statistics Home Page has the monthly Mississippi Ag Report which contains up-to-date statistics on crop acreage, yield, production and value; livestock inventory and value; crop and livestock prices and other farm related statistics. MS County Estimates - 1996-97 county level data for Mississippi for corn, cotton, rice, sorghum, soybeans and wheat; and January 1, 1996-97 county level data for all cattle and calves, beef cows and milk cows. Look here first for any Mississippi data you may need. http://www.nass.usda.gov/ms
Chicago Mercantile Exchange Home Page. http://www.cme.com
Daily and weekly price charts for ag commodities traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. http://www.barchart.com/cme/cmeagr.htm